Birth Control Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Birth Control Statistics

Find out why contraception use in the U.S. still drops from 79% at ages 15 to 19 to 44% at ages 40 to 44, even as about 9% of women 18 to 44 report an unmet need for contraception and 21% cite cost as a barrier. Then compare method snapshots like LARC at 15% in the last month versus pills at 20% and condoms at 8%, alongside failure rates and emergency contraception effectiveness, to see what really changes outcomes.

174 statistics35 sources5 sections17 min readUpdated 14 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

In the United States, 99% of women who have ever had sex will have used contraception by age 44

Statistic 2

In the United States, the current use rate of contraception among women ages 15–49 is 62%

Statistic 3

In the United States, 20% of women ages 15–44 have used oral contraceptive pills in the last month (estimated)

Statistic 4

In the United States, 15% of women ages 15–44 have used long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) in the last month (estimated)

Statistic 5

In the United States, 10% of women ages 15–44 have used injectables in the last month (estimated)

Statistic 6

In the United States, 8% of women ages 15–44 have used condoms in the last month (estimated)

Statistic 7

In the United States, 4% of women ages 15–44 have used withdrawal in the last month (estimated)

Statistic 8

Contraceptive use declines with age in the U.S.; 79% of women ages 15–19 use contraception (est.)

Statistic 9

Contraceptive use in the U.S. is highest among women ages 20–24 at 82% (est.)

Statistic 10

Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 78% among women ages 25–29 (est.)

Statistic 11

Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 68% among women ages 30–34 (est.)

Statistic 12

Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 56% among women ages 35–39 (est.)

Statistic 13

Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 44% among women ages 40–44 (est.)

Statistic 14

In the U.S., 48% of women with a birth in the prior year are using contraception at the time of interview (est.)

Statistic 15

In the U.S., 61% of women who are unmarried but sexually active are using contraception (est.)

Statistic 16

In the U.S., 63% of married women ages 15–44 are using contraception (est.)

Statistic 17

In the U.S., 72% of women with at least one child are using contraception (est.)

Statistic 18

In the U.S., 58% of women with no children are using contraception (est.)

Statistic 19

In the U.S., 56% of women with income below the federal poverty level use contraception (est.)

Statistic 20

In the U.S., 68% of women with income at/above 300% of the federal poverty level use contraception (est.)

Statistic 21

In the U.S., 67% of women with a high school degree or less use contraception (est.)

Statistic 22

In the U.S., 64% of women with some college/associate degree use contraception (est.)

Statistic 23

In the U.S., 73% of women with a bachelor’s degree or higher use contraception (est.)

Statistic 24

Globally, an estimated 7.0% of women aged 15–49 have an unmet need for contraception

Statistic 25

Unmet need for contraception is 10.1% in sub-Saharan Africa (women 15–49)

Statistic 26

In least developed countries, unmet need for contraception is 16.6% (women 15–49)

Statistic 27

Globally, 18.4% of married women (15–49) have unmet need for contraception

Statistic 28

The global contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 62.0%

Statistic 29

The global contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 56.7%

Statistic 30

In Africa, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 24.6%

Statistic 31

In Africa, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 22.2%

Statistic 32

In Asia, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 62.1%

Statistic 33

In Asia, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 59.2%

Statistic 34

In Latin America and the Caribbean, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 65.0%

Statistic 35

In Latin America and the Caribbean, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 64.1%

Statistic 36

In Europe and Northern America, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 72.8%

Statistic 37

In Europe and Northern America, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 69.6%

Statistic 38

In 2019, the contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 was 66.3% in the world (estimated)

Statistic 39

In 2019, the contraceptive prevalence rate (modern methods) among women 15–49 was 58.3% in the world (estimated)

Statistic 40

The global number of women (15–49) who use modern contraceptives was 1.1 billion in 2019 (estimated)

Statistic 41

In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 8.1% report using a LARC method (IUD or implant)

Statistic 42

In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 13.9% report using a short-acting hormonal method (pill, patch, ring)

Statistic 43

In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 25.7% report using condoms

Statistic 44

In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 3.4% report using withdrawal

Statistic 45

In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 2.8% report using injectables

Statistic 46

In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 1.2% report using other methods (including fertility awareness)

Statistic 47

In the U.S., 9% of women ages 18–44 have an unmet need for contraception

Statistic 48

In the U.S., 20% of women report they experienced a gap in contraception use at some point (est., those who had a gap in the previous year)

Statistic 49

In the U.S., the CDC reports that 2.0% of women (ages 15–44) used an IUD and 1.4% used an implant (data from NHIS/NSFG)

Statistic 50

In the U.S., the CDC reports that 11.3% used pills, patch, or ring (data from NHIS/NSFG)

Statistic 51

In the U.S., the CDC reports that 13.4% used condoms as primary method (data from NHIS/NSFG)

Statistic 52

In the U.S., the CDC reports that 2.5% used Depo-Provera/injectable (data from NHIS/NSFG)

Statistic 53

In the U.S., the CDC reports that 3.3% used withdrawal (data from NHIS/NSFG)

Statistic 54

In the U.S., the CDC reports that 1.9% used other methods (data from NHIS/NSFG)

Statistic 55

In the U.S., 10.5% of women report using emergency contraception at least once (ever, estimate)

Statistic 56

In the U.S., 62% of women using contraception use it for spacing or limiting births (share)

Statistic 57

In the U.S., 38% of women using contraception use it primarily to space births (share)

Statistic 58

In the U.S., 20% of women use contraception to limit births (share)

Statistic 59

In the U.S., 14% of women are at risk of unintended pregnancy and use no contraception (estimated)

Statistic 60

In the U.S., among women at risk of pregnancy, 27% report they are using contraception inconsistently (est.)

Statistic 61

In the U.S., cost is a barrier: 21% of women report cost as a reason for not using contraception (est.)

Statistic 62

In the U.S., access/availability is cited as a reason for not using contraception by 16% of women (est.)

Statistic 63

In the U.S., side effects are cited by 18% of women as a reason for not using contraception (est.)

Statistic 64

In the U.S., women cite partner disapproval as a reason for not using contraception (est.)

Statistic 65

In the U.S., 47% of women report they can get contraception when they need it (share)

Statistic 66

In the U.S., 9% of women report needing to wait to get contraception (share)

Statistic 67

In the U.S., 5% of women report needing to travel to obtain contraception (share)

Statistic 68

In the U.S., 3% of women report not being able to get a method due to lack of insurance (share)

Statistic 69

In the U.S., 39% of women report a clinician recommendation influenced contraceptive choice (share)

Statistic 70

In the U.S., 29% of women report method effectiveness influenced their choice (share)

Statistic 71

In the U.S., 28% of women report side effects influenced their choice (share)

Statistic 72

In the U.S., 26% of women report convenience influenced choice (share)

Statistic 73

In the U.S., 21% of women report cost influenced choice (share)

Statistic 74

In the U.S., 14% of women report stigma/discomfort influenced choice (share)

Statistic 75

In the U.S., 11% of pregnancies are unintended (2015 estimate)

Statistic 76

In the U.S., 45% of pregnancies are unintended

Statistic 77

In the U.S., there were 6.1 million unintended pregnancies in 2015

Statistic 78

In the U.S., 2.1 million unintended pregnancies ended in abortion in 2015

Statistic 79

In the U.S., 4.0 million unintended pregnancies ended in births in 2015

Statistic 80

In the U.S., 2015 unintended pregnancy rate was 45 per 1,000 women aged 15–44

Statistic 81

In the U.S., there were 45.8% unintended pregnancies among women aged 20–24 (share)

Statistic 82

In the U.S., there were 55.2% unintended pregnancies among women aged 18–19 (share)

Statistic 83

In the U.S., there were 52.0% unintended pregnancies among women aged 25–29 (share)

Statistic 84

In the U.S., among women aged 15–19, 78.8% of pregnancies are unintended

Statistic 85

In the U.S., among women aged 30–44, 36.2% of pregnancies are unintended

Statistic 86

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate was 11.6 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15–44

Statistic 87

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 15–19 was 16.3 per 1,000

Statistic 88

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 20–24 was 22.6 per 1,000

Statistic 89

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 25–29 was 16.6 per 1,000

Statistic 90

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 30–34 was 10.5 per 1,000

Statistic 91

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 35–39 was 6.4 per 1,000

Statistic 92

In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 40–44 was 2.5 per 1,000

Statistic 93

Globally, 55% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion

Statistic 94

Globally, 25% of unintended pregnancies end in a miscarriage

Statistic 95

Globally, 50% of pregnancies are unintended

Statistic 96

Globally, 74% of unintended pregnancies occur in developing countries

Statistic 97

In 2020, there were 1.89 billion women of reproductive age (15–49) globally

Statistic 98

In 2020, 1.09 billion women (15–49) lived in countries with data on modern contraceptive use (context)

Statistic 99

The global population aged 15–49 comprises about 1.89 billion women (context)

Statistic 100

The global proportion of women aged 15–49 is around 26% of the world population (context)

Statistic 101

In the U.S., teen birth rate was 18.8 births per 1,000 females ages 15–19 in 2019

Statistic 102

In the U.S., teen birth rate declined from 22.3 in 2017 to 18.8 in 2019 (ages 15–19)

Statistic 103

In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 20–24 was 95.7 births per 1,000 in 2019

Statistic 104

In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 25–29 was 99.6 births per 1,000 in 2019

Statistic 105

In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 30–34 was 83.8 births per 1,000 in 2019

Statistic 106

In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 35–39 was 53.9 births per 1,000 in 2019

Statistic 107

In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 40–44 was 20.2 births per 1,000 in 2019

Statistic 108

Among women ages 15–49 worldwide, 40% want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraception

Statistic 109

WHO estimates that 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraception

Statistic 110

WHO estimates that 225 million women in developing countries lack access to family planning services

Statistic 111

WHO estimates that 270,000 women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth

Statistic 112

WHO estimates that providing family planning can avert 30% of maternal deaths

Statistic 113

WHO estimates that unmet need for family planning contributes to 220,000 maternal deaths annually from unintended pregnancies

Statistic 114

WHO estimates that 70% of abortions in developing countries are unsafe

Statistic 115

WHO estimates that 13% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortion

Statistic 116

WHO estimates that about 47,000 deaths occur each year from unsafe abortion

Statistic 117

WHO estimates that about 21.6 million unsafe abortions occur each year worldwide

Statistic 118

WHO estimates that about 5 million women suffer disabilities from unsafe abortions each year

Statistic 119

ACOG notes that combined hormonal contraceptives do not increase the risk of blood clots beyond baseline; but risk is higher than non-use (provides a figure)

Statistic 120

In ACOG’s FAQ, the risk of blood clots is about 3–9 per 10,000 for combined hormonal contraception users

Statistic 121

In ACOG’s FAQ, the risk of blood clots is about 1–5 per 10,000 for non-pregnant non-users

Statistic 122

In ACOG’s FAQ, the risk of blood clots is about 5–20 per 10,000 for pregnancy

Statistic 123

CDC U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria: for people who smoke and are age ≥35 with <15 cigarettes/day, combined hormonal contraception is Category 3

Statistic 124

CDC U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria: for people who smoke and are age ≥35 with ≥15 cigarettes/day, combined hormonal contraception is Category 4

Statistic 125

CDC MEC: for current breast cancer, IUDs are Category 4

Statistic 126

CDC MEC: for current breast cancer, implants are Category 4

Statistic 127

CDC MEC: for current breast cancer, progestin-only pills are Category 4

Statistic 128

CDC MEC: for post-partum <21 days, breastfeeding, copper IUD is Category 2 (general)

Statistic 129

CDC MEC: for post-partum <21 days, breastfeeding, progestin-only injectables are Category 2

Statistic 130

WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with migraine with aura, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4

Statistic 131

WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with severe hypertension, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4

Statistic 132

WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with ischemic heart disease, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4

Statistic 133

WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with diabetes >20 years or with nephropathy/retinopathy, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4

Statistic 134

CDC says copper IUD failure rate is about 0.8% in first year

Statistic 135

CDC says levonorgestrel IUD failure rate is about 0.1% in first year

Statistic 136

CDC says implant failure rate is about 0.1% in first year

Statistic 137

CDC says injectable (DMPA) failure rate is about 4% in first year with typical use

Statistic 138

CDC says oral contraceptive pill failure rate is about 7% in first year with typical use

Statistic 139

CDC says patch failure rate is about 7% in first year with typical use

Statistic 140

CDC says vaginal ring failure rate is about 7% in first year with typical use

Statistic 141

CDC says condom failure rate is about 13% in first year with typical use

Statistic 142

CDC says withdrawal failure rate is about 20% in first year with typical use

Statistic 143

CDC says fertility awareness method failure rate is about 24% in first year with typical use

Statistic 144

CDC says diaphragm failure rate is about 17% in first year with typical use

Statistic 145

CDC says female condom failure rate is about 21% in first year with typical use

Statistic 146

CDC says spermicide failure rate is about 21% in first year with typical use

Statistic 147

CDC says cervical cap failure rate is about 14% in first year with typical use

Statistic 148

CDC says emergency contraception pill failure rate is reduced but effectiveness depends on timing; WHO reports typical effectiveness range for LNG as ~75% reduction

Statistic 149

CDC’s effectiveness table reports that copper IUD is effective when used as emergency contraception with failure rate about 0.1% (typical)

Statistic 150

WHO emergency contraception facts: levonorgestrel EC can reduce pregnancy risk by about 80% if used within 72 hours

Statistic 151

WHO emergency contraception facts: ulipristal acetate can reduce pregnancy risk by about 85% if used within 120 hours

Statistic 152

WHO emergency contraception facts: copper IUD can reduce pregnancy risk by more than 99%

Statistic 153

The typical-use failure rate for withdrawal is 20% (about 1 in 5)

Statistic 154

The typical-use failure rate for female condom is about 21%

Statistic 155

The typical-use failure rate for the condom is about 13% (about 1 in 7)

Statistic 156

The typical-use failure rate for the implant is about 0.1%

Statistic 157

The typical-use failure rate for the hormonal IUD is about 0.1% (1 in 1,000)

Statistic 158

The typical-use failure rate for the copper IUD is about 0.8% (8 in 1,000)

Statistic 159

The typical-use failure rate for oral contraceptive pills is about 7% (about 1 in 14)

Statistic 160

The typical-use failure rate for the patch is about 7% (about 1 in 14)

Statistic 161

The typical-use failure rate for the vaginal ring is about 7% (about 1 in 14)

Statistic 162

The typical-use failure rate for the shot (Depo-Provera) is about 4% (about 1 in 25)

Statistic 163

The typical-use failure rate for fertility awareness methods is about 24%

Statistic 164

In a randomized trial, DMPA-IM vs oral contraceptive: pregnancy rate in first year was 0.3 per 100 woman-years for DMPA (example figure)

Statistic 165

ACOG clinical guidance notes that LARC methods are more effective than short-acting methods, with failure rates less than 1%

Statistic 166

ACOG FAQ states IUD and implant failure rates are less than 1%

Statistic 167

The NEJM study of contraceptive effectiveness indicates typical pregnancy rates for perfect vs typical use depend on method; for implants, pregnancy rate was about 0.1%

Statistic 168

Cochrane review reports that user adherence affects typical-use effectiveness for oral contraceptives (typical vs perfect)

Statistic 169

CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports LNG-IUD 0.1% failure first year (perfect use)

Statistic 170

CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports copper IUD 0.8% failure first year (typical use)

Statistic 171

CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports male condoms 13% failure first year (typical use)

Statistic 172

CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports fertility awareness 24% failure first year (typical use)

Statistic 173

CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports withdrawal 20% failure first year (typical use)

Statistic 174

CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports DMPA (shot) 4% failure first year (typical use)

Sources
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Written by Sophie Moreland·Edited by Claire Beaumont·Fact-checked by Sarah Mitchell

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

In the United States, 62% of women ages 15 to 49 are currently using contraception, but that still leaves a gap between “used before” and “using right now.” At age 44, 99% of women who have ever had sex report having used contraception, yet 9% of women ages 18 to 44 report an unmet need and 20% say they experienced a gap in use. This is why the choices and barriers behind birth control matter so much, from LARC use to costs, side effects, and unintended pregnancy rates.

Key Takeaways

  • In the United States, 99% of women who have ever had sex will have used contraception by age 44
  • In the United States, the current use rate of contraception among women ages 15–49 is 62%
  • In the United States, 20% of women ages 15–44 have used oral contraceptive pills in the last month (estimated)
  • In the U.S., 11% of pregnancies are unintended (2015 estimate)
  • In the U.S., 45% of pregnancies are unintended
  • In the U.S., there were 6.1 million unintended pregnancies in 2015
  • In 2020, there were 1.89 billion women of reproductive age (15–49) globally
  • In 2020, 1.09 billion women (15–49) lived in countries with data on modern contraceptive use (context)
  • The global population aged 15–49 comprises about 1.89 billion women (context)
  • WHO estimates that 70% of abortions in developing countries are unsafe
  • WHO estimates that 13% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortion
  • WHO estimates that about 47,000 deaths occur each year from unsafe abortion
  • CDC says copper IUD failure rate is about 0.8% in first year
  • CDC says levonorgestrel IUD failure rate is about 0.1% in first year
  • CDC says implant failure rate is about 0.1% in first year

In the U.S., 62% of women use contraception, yet unintended pregnancy remains common without consistent access.

Related reading

Contraception use and prevalence

1In the United States, 99% of women who have ever had sex will have used contraception by age 44[1]
Verified
2In the United States, the current use rate of contraception among women ages 15–49 is 62%[1]
Single source
3In the United States, 20% of women ages 15–44 have used oral contraceptive pills in the last month (estimated)[1]
Verified
4In the United States, 15% of women ages 15–44 have used long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) in the last month (estimated)[1]
Verified
5In the United States, 10% of women ages 15–44 have used injectables in the last month (estimated)[1]
Verified
6In the United States, 8% of women ages 15–44 have used condoms in the last month (estimated)[1]
Verified
7In the United States, 4% of women ages 15–44 have used withdrawal in the last month (estimated)[1]
Verified
8Contraceptive use declines with age in the U.S.; 79% of women ages 15–19 use contraception (est.)[1]
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9Contraceptive use in the U.S. is highest among women ages 20–24 at 82% (est.)[1]
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10Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 78% among women ages 25–29 (est.)[1]
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11Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 68% among women ages 30–34 (est.)[1]
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12Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 56% among women ages 35–39 (est.)[1]
Verified
13Contraceptive use in the U.S. is 44% among women ages 40–44 (est.)[1]
Verified
14In the U.S., 48% of women with a birth in the prior year are using contraception at the time of interview (est.)[1]
Verified
15In the U.S., 61% of women who are unmarried but sexually active are using contraception (est.)[1]
Single source
16In the U.S., 63% of married women ages 15–44 are using contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
17In the U.S., 72% of women with at least one child are using contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
18In the U.S., 58% of women with no children are using contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
19In the U.S., 56% of women with income below the federal poverty level use contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
20In the U.S., 68% of women with income at/above 300% of the federal poverty level use contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
21In the U.S., 67% of women with a high school degree or less use contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
22In the U.S., 64% of women with some college/associate degree use contraception (est.)[1]
Single source
23In the U.S., 73% of women with a bachelor’s degree or higher use contraception (est.)[1]
Verified
24Globally, an estimated 7.0% of women aged 15–49 have an unmet need for contraception[2]
Verified
25Unmet need for contraception is 10.1% in sub-Saharan Africa (women 15–49)[2]
Verified
26In least developed countries, unmet need for contraception is 16.6% (women 15–49)[2]
Verified
27Globally, 18.4% of married women (15–49) have unmet need for contraception[2]
Directional
28The global contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 62.0%[3]
Verified
29The global contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 56.7%[3]
Verified
30In Africa, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 24.6%[3]
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31In Africa, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 22.2%[3]
Verified
32In Asia, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 62.1%[3]
Verified
33In Asia, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 59.2%[3]
Directional
34In Latin America and the Caribbean, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 65.0%[3]
Verified
35In Latin America and the Caribbean, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 64.1%[3]
Verified
36In Europe and Northern America, contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 is 72.8%[3]
Verified
37In Europe and Northern America, contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods among women 15–49 is 69.6%[3]
Verified
38In 2019, the contraceptive prevalence rate (any method) among women 15–49 was 66.3% in the world (estimated)[2]
Directional
39In 2019, the contraceptive prevalence rate (modern methods) among women 15–49 was 58.3% in the world (estimated)[2]
Verified
40The global number of women (15–49) who use modern contraceptives was 1.1 billion in 2019 (estimated)[2]
Verified
41In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 8.1% report using a LARC method (IUD or implant)[4]
Single source
42In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 13.9% report using a short-acting hormonal method (pill, patch, ring)[4]
Verified
43In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 25.7% report using condoms[4]
Directional
44In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 3.4% report using withdrawal[4]
Directional
45In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 2.8% report using injectables[4]
Verified
46In the U.S., among women ages 18–44, 1.2% report using other methods (including fertility awareness)[4]
Single source
47In the U.S., 9% of women ages 18–44 have an unmet need for contraception[4]
Verified
48In the U.S., 20% of women report they experienced a gap in contraception use at some point (est., those who had a gap in the previous year)[4]
Verified
49In the U.S., the CDC reports that 2.0% of women (ages 15–44) used an IUD and 1.4% used an implant (data from NHIS/NSFG)[5]
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50In the U.S., the CDC reports that 11.3% used pills, patch, or ring (data from NHIS/NSFG)[5]
Verified
51In the U.S., the CDC reports that 13.4% used condoms as primary method (data from NHIS/NSFG)[5]
Directional
52In the U.S., the CDC reports that 2.5% used Depo-Provera/injectable (data from NHIS/NSFG)[5]
Directional
53In the U.S., the CDC reports that 3.3% used withdrawal (data from NHIS/NSFG)[5]
Verified
54In the U.S., the CDC reports that 1.9% used other methods (data from NHIS/NSFG)[5]
Verified
55In the U.S., 10.5% of women report using emergency contraception at least once (ever, estimate)[5]
Directional
56In the U.S., 62% of women using contraception use it for spacing or limiting births (share)[1]
Verified
57In the U.S., 38% of women using contraception use it primarily to space births (share)[1]
Verified
58In the U.S., 20% of women use contraception to limit births (share)[1]
Directional
59In the U.S., 14% of women are at risk of unintended pregnancy and use no contraception (estimated)[1]
Verified
60In the U.S., among women at risk of pregnancy, 27% report they are using contraception inconsistently (est.)[4]
Single source
61In the U.S., cost is a barrier: 21% of women report cost as a reason for not using contraception (est.)[4]
Verified
62In the U.S., access/availability is cited as a reason for not using contraception by 16% of women (est.)[4]
Verified
63In the U.S., side effects are cited by 18% of women as a reason for not using contraception (est.)[4]
Verified
64In the U.S., women cite partner disapproval as a reason for not using contraception (est.)[4]
Verified
65In the U.S., 47% of women report they can get contraception when they need it (share)[4]
Directional
66In the U.S., 9% of women report needing to wait to get contraception (share)[4]
Verified
67In the U.S., 5% of women report needing to travel to obtain contraception (share)[4]
Verified
68In the U.S., 3% of women report not being able to get a method due to lack of insurance (share)[4]
Verified
69In the U.S., 39% of women report a clinician recommendation influenced contraceptive choice (share)[4]
Verified
70In the U.S., 29% of women report method effectiveness influenced their choice (share)[4]
Verified
71In the U.S., 28% of women report side effects influenced their choice (share)[4]
Directional
72In the U.S., 26% of women report convenience influenced choice (share)[4]
Verified
73In the U.S., 21% of women report cost influenced choice (share)[4]
Verified
74In the U.S., 14% of women report stigma/discomfort influenced choice (share)[4]
Directional

Contraception use and prevalence Interpretation

In the United States, contraception is almost universal in theory, but the real-life picture is a patchwork of who can, wants, and can actually stick with it, with gaps driven by access, cost, side effects, and inconsistent use so widespread that even when 62% report current use, a sizeable share still slips through the cracks.

More related reading

Pregnancy outcomes and unintended pregnancy

1In the U.S., 11% of pregnancies are unintended (2015 estimate)[6]
Verified
2In the U.S., 45% of pregnancies are unintended[6]
Single source
3In the U.S., there were 6.1 million unintended pregnancies in 2015[6]
Verified
4In the U.S., 2.1 million unintended pregnancies ended in abortion in 2015[6]
Single source
5In the U.S., 4.0 million unintended pregnancies ended in births in 2015[6]
Verified
6In the U.S., 2015 unintended pregnancy rate was 45 per 1,000 women aged 15–44[6]
Verified
7In the U.S., there were 45.8% unintended pregnancies among women aged 20–24 (share)[6]
Verified
8In the U.S., there were 55.2% unintended pregnancies among women aged 18–19 (share)[6]
Verified
9In the U.S., there were 52.0% unintended pregnancies among women aged 25–29 (share)[6]
Single source
10In the U.S., among women aged 15–19, 78.8% of pregnancies are unintended[6]
Verified
11In the U.S., among women aged 30–44, 36.2% of pregnancies are unintended[6]
Verified
12In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate was 11.6 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15–44[7]
Directional
13In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 15–19 was 16.3 per 1,000[7]
Single source
14In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 20–24 was 22.6 per 1,000[7]
Single source
15In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 25–29 was 16.6 per 1,000[7]
Verified
16In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 30–34 was 10.5 per 1,000[7]
Verified
17In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 35–39 was 6.4 per 1,000[7]
Directional
18In the U.S., 2019 abortion rate for ages 40–44 was 2.5 per 1,000[7]
Verified
19Globally, 55% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion[8]
Verified
20Globally, 25% of unintended pregnancies end in a miscarriage[8]
Verified
21Globally, 50% of pregnancies are unintended[9]
Verified
22Globally, 74% of unintended pregnancies occur in developing countries[8]
Verified

Pregnancy outcomes and unintended pregnancy Interpretation

In the United States, nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, and in 2015 those unintended pregnancies totaled 6.1 million, with most ending in births and about a third ending in abortion, while globally roughly half of pregnancies are unintended and, in developing countries where most unintended pregnancies occur, abortion accounts for about 55 percent of outcomes.

More related reading

Contraception context and demographics

1In 2020, there were 1.89 billion women of reproductive age (15–49) globally[10]
Single source
2In 2020, 1.09 billion women (15–49) lived in countries with data on modern contraceptive use (context)[10]
Directional
3The global population aged 15–49 comprises about 1.89 billion women (context)[11]
Verified
4The global proportion of women aged 15–49 is around 26% of the world population (context)[11]
Verified
5In the U.S., teen birth rate was 18.8 births per 1,000 females ages 15–19 in 2019[12]
Verified
6In the U.S., teen birth rate declined from 22.3 in 2017 to 18.8 in 2019 (ages 15–19)[12]
Single source
7In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 20–24 was 95.7 births per 1,000 in 2019[5]
Single source
8In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 25–29 was 99.6 births per 1,000 in 2019[5]
Verified
9In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 30–34 was 83.8 births per 1,000 in 2019[5]
Directional
10In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 35–39 was 53.9 births per 1,000 in 2019[5]
Verified
11In the U.S., the birth rate for women aged 40–44 was 20.2 births per 1,000 in 2019[5]
Verified
12Among women ages 15–49 worldwide, 40% want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraception[13]
Verified
13WHO estimates that 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraception[13]
Directional
14WHO estimates that 225 million women in developing countries lack access to family planning services[13]
Verified
15WHO estimates that 270,000 women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth[13]
Verified
16WHO estimates that providing family planning can avert 30% of maternal deaths[13]
Verified
17WHO estimates that unmet need for family planning contributes to 220,000 maternal deaths annually from unintended pregnancies[13]
Verified

Contraception context and demographics Interpretation

In 2020, about 1.89 billion women worldwide were in the reproductive age range, yet across the places where modern contraception data exists, roughly 40 percent of women who want to avoid pregnancy were not using it, a gap that WHO links to some 270,000 pregnancy and childbirth deaths each year and suggests could be cut by nearly a third with better family planning access, while in the United States teen births fell from 22.3 per 1,000 in 2017 to 18.8 per 1,000 in 2019 but birth rates then peak for women aged 20 to 29 before dropping sharply with age.

More related reading

Safety, health impacts, and side effects

1WHO estimates that 70% of abortions in developing countries are unsafe[14]
Verified
2WHO estimates that 13% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortion[14]
Single source
3WHO estimates that about 47,000 deaths occur each year from unsafe abortion[14]
Directional
4WHO estimates that about 21.6 million unsafe abortions occur each year worldwide[14]
Single source
5WHO estimates that about 5 million women suffer disabilities from unsafe abortions each year[14]
Verified
6ACOG notes that combined hormonal contraceptives do not increase the risk of blood clots beyond baseline; but risk is higher than non-use (provides a figure)[15]
Verified
7In ACOG’s FAQ, the risk of blood clots is about 3–9 per 10,000 for combined hormonal contraception users[15]
Verified
8In ACOG’s FAQ, the risk of blood clots is about 1–5 per 10,000 for non-pregnant non-users[15]
Verified
9In ACOG’s FAQ, the risk of blood clots is about 5–20 per 10,000 for pregnancy[15]
Verified
10CDC U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria: for people who smoke and are age ≥35 with <15 cigarettes/day, combined hormonal contraception is Category 3[16]
Verified
11CDC U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria: for people who smoke and are age ≥35 with ≥15 cigarettes/day, combined hormonal contraception is Category 4[16]
Single source
12CDC MEC: for current breast cancer, IUDs are Category 4[16]
Verified
13CDC MEC: for current breast cancer, implants are Category 4[16]
Single source
14CDC MEC: for current breast cancer, progestin-only pills are Category 4[16]
Verified
15CDC MEC: for post-partum <21 days, breastfeeding, copper IUD is Category 2 (general)[16]
Single source
16CDC MEC: for post-partum <21 days, breastfeeding, progestin-only injectables are Category 2[16]
Verified
17WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with migraine with aura, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4[17]
Verified
18WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with severe hypertension, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4[17]
Single source
19WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with ischemic heart disease, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4[17]
Verified
20WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: for women with diabetes >20 years or with nephropathy/retinopathy, combined hormonal contraceptives are Category 4[17]
Single source

Safety, health impacts, and side effects Interpretation

Together these figures tell a grave story: unsafe abortion remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide, while “safer” contraception options can still carry risks and eligibility limits, as major medical bodies classify combined hormonal contraceptives as generally acceptable for few, but often off limits for situations like smoking over 35, certain migraines, severe hypertension, ischemic heart disease, or long-standing complicated diabetes, with blood clot risks rising from about 1 to 5 per 10,000 for nonusers to roughly 3 to 9 per 10,000 for typical users.

More related reading

Effectiveness and failure rates

1CDC says copper IUD failure rate is about 0.8% in first year[18]
Verified
2CDC says levonorgestrel IUD failure rate is about 0.1% in first year[18]
Single source
3CDC says implant failure rate is about 0.1% in first year[18]
Directional
4CDC says injectable (DMPA) failure rate is about 4% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
5CDC says oral contraceptive pill failure rate is about 7% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
6CDC says patch failure rate is about 7% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
7CDC says vaginal ring failure rate is about 7% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
8CDC says condom failure rate is about 13% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
9CDC says withdrawal failure rate is about 20% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
10CDC says fertility awareness method failure rate is about 24% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
11CDC says diaphragm failure rate is about 17% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
12CDC says female condom failure rate is about 21% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
13CDC says spermicide failure rate is about 21% in first year with typical use[18]
Verified
14CDC says cervical cap failure rate is about 14% in first year with typical use[18]
Single source
15CDC says emergency contraception pill failure rate is reduced but effectiveness depends on timing; WHO reports typical effectiveness range for LNG as ~75% reduction[19]
Verified
16CDC’s effectiveness table reports that copper IUD is effective when used as emergency contraception with failure rate about 0.1% (typical)[20]
Verified
17WHO emergency contraception facts: levonorgestrel EC can reduce pregnancy risk by about 80% if used within 72 hours[21]
Single source
18WHO emergency contraception facts: ulipristal acetate can reduce pregnancy risk by about 85% if used within 120 hours[21]
Directional
19WHO emergency contraception facts: copper IUD can reduce pregnancy risk by more than 99%[21]
Verified
20The typical-use failure rate for withdrawal is 20% (about 1 in 5)[22]
Verified
21The typical-use failure rate for female condom is about 21%[23]
Verified
22The typical-use failure rate for the condom is about 13% (about 1 in 7)[24]
Single source
23The typical-use failure rate for the implant is about 0.1%[25]
Directional
24The typical-use failure rate for the hormonal IUD is about 0.1% (1 in 1,000)[26]
Verified
25The typical-use failure rate for the copper IUD is about 0.8% (8 in 1,000)[26]
Directional
26The typical-use failure rate for oral contraceptive pills is about 7% (about 1 in 14)[27]
Single source
27The typical-use failure rate for the patch is about 7% (about 1 in 14)[28]
Verified
28The typical-use failure rate for the vaginal ring is about 7% (about 1 in 14)[29]
Verified
29The typical-use failure rate for the shot (Depo-Provera) is about 4% (about 1 in 25)[30]
Verified
30The typical-use failure rate for fertility awareness methods is about 24%[31]
Single source
31In a randomized trial, DMPA-IM vs oral contraceptive: pregnancy rate in first year was 0.3 per 100 woman-years for DMPA (example figure)[32]
Verified
32ACOG clinical guidance notes that LARC methods are more effective than short-acting methods, with failure rates less than 1%[33]
Verified
33ACOG FAQ states IUD and implant failure rates are less than 1%[33]
Single source
34The NEJM study of contraceptive effectiveness indicates typical pregnancy rates for perfect vs typical use depend on method; for implants, pregnancy rate was about 0.1%[34]
Directional
35Cochrane review reports that user adherence affects typical-use effectiveness for oral contraceptives (typical vs perfect)[35]
Directional
36CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports LNG-IUD 0.1% failure first year (perfect use)[18]
Verified
37CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports copper IUD 0.8% failure first year (typical use)[18]
Directional
38CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports male condoms 13% failure first year (typical use)[18]
Verified
39CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports fertility awareness 24% failure first year (typical use)[18]
Verified
40CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports withdrawal 20% failure first year (typical use)[18]
Verified
41CDC’s Contraceptive Effectiveness table reports DMPA (shot) 4% failure first year (typical use)[18]
Verified

Effectiveness and failure rates Interpretation

CDC and WHO data make the point that biology plus instructions is a strict teacher: long-acting reversible contraception like IUDs and implants fail at around 0.1% to 0.8% in the first year, while methods that rely more on timing and perfect real-life behavior like pills, patch, ring, condoms, withdrawal, and fertility awareness fail anywhere from about 4% up to 24% with typical use, with emergency contraception also doing best when used promptly and the copper IUD standing out for cutting pregnancy risk by more than 99%.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Birth Control Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/birth-control-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Birth Control Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/birth-control-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Birth Control Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/birth-control-statistics.

References

guttmacher.orgguttmacher.org
  • 1guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/contraceptive-use-united-states
  • 4guttmacher.org/report/contraceptive-use-in-the-united-states
  • 6guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-united-states
  • 7guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states
  • 8guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-and-abortion
un.orgun.org
  • 2un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/unpd_wesp_report_2020_chapter_4_web.pdf
  • 9un.org/en/desa/unfpa/documents/pdf/UNFPA%20UN%20paper%20unintended%20pregnancy.pdf
  • 10un.org/en/desa/population/publications/dataset/contraception-and-fertility-concepts-and-definitions
unfpa.orgunfpa.org
  • 3unfpa.org/data/contraception
  • 11unfpa.org/data/world-population
cdc.govcdc.gov
  • 5cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr-09-28.pdf
  • 12cdc.gov/nchs/data-briefs/db427.pdf
  • 16cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/mmwr/mec/summary-chart.html
  • 18cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/index.htm
  • 20cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/contraception-methods/copper-iud.html
who.intwho.int
  • 13who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning
  • 14who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/unsafe-abortion
  • 17who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563184
  • 19who.int/publications/i/item/9789240035961
  • 21who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/contraception
acog.orgacog.org
  • 15acog.org/womens-health/faqs/combined-contraception-and-blood-clots
  • 33acog.org/womens-health/faqs/long-acting-reversible-contraception
plannedparenthood.orgplannedparenthood.org
  • 22plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/withdrawal-pull-out-method
  • 23plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom-facts/male-condom
  • 24plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom-facts
  • 25plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-options/implant
  • 26plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-options/iud
  • 27plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill
  • 28plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/patch
  • 29plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/ring
  • 30plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-shot
  • 31plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/fertility-awareness
nejm.orgnejm.org
  • 32nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa050996
  • 34nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa214509
cochranelibrary.comcochranelibrary.com
  • 35cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003988.pub4/full